Homeschool and Work??? Can I Do It?

Hi A.,

It can be done, but you have to be really organized and have a schedule that is adhered to. Otherwise, things can get away from you really easily. If you are in Broward county, there is online virtual school, which is far more helpful because you don't have to take the extra time to figure out the lessons for each day, which can be time consuming.

You have real teachers that communicate with your children online, and you simply supervise to ensure that they are doing the required work correctly. It is a lot easier than trying to do it all yourself. If you are not in this county, check your area or state.

I'm pretty sure I'm supposed to be talking to women in my area, but I don't know for sure, so check online to see if virtual school is available in your area.

Believe me, it's preferable to sending them to public school, because you control what they are exposed to, and therefore, what they think about and gravitate towards. I wish I knew about the virtual school before I ever sent my son back into the county school system. It's been nothing but problems. Good luck.

S.

I don't homeschool my own kids but I am a teacher for a virtual school (it's K-8--- the curriculum is all online and the kids are homeschooled using the curriculum-- they have flexibility with things like scheduling and pacing-- and the teachers are there for support, to grade portfolio items for grades 3 and up, and to do "Live Lessons" online)

Anyway... I know that homeschooling for most families means you do just a few hours of school a day-- not the typical 8:00-3:00 day that the kids have at public/private schools. However, homeschooling is a full time job for the parents-- especially with 2 kids at different age levels (planning, teaching, practicing, reviewing, testing, etc.) I think it really depends on your part time job and how time consuming it is. Some people can work a full time job and have a part time job on the side, too. Also, I think it really depends on how independent your children are. Do you think you'll be able to do a lesson with them and then they will be able to do some of their work independently?? Because in addition to the homeschooling AND your part time job, you still have to do all of your other "chores" and errands to take care of your house and family (so it also depends on how helpful your husband is with the chores!! haha!!) Sure, it can be done. But there is a lot to consider to make sure it's the right fit for your family. With some of my middle school students, when they are falling behind, I often hear the oddest excuses, like they had to do too many chores that day so they couldn't get much schoolwork done... or the parents say they are working and don't have as much time as they'd like to be able to assist their child with their schoolwork... or the parents have a hard time getting the kids to stop playing video games and focus on their school work (that one, by the way, is an easy one the way I see it!! Video games can be unplugged and removed!!) ANYWAY.... I just think it's really important to establish a good routine and to make school time a priority while they're young so those values last as they get older and much more independent in their schoolwork.

Not sure if I said anything helpful... hope I did, though!!

A.,

I am going to homeschool my two girls and I believe that you will be able to work part-time and homeschool because that is the beauty of homeschooling. You can teach your kids outside of the box instead of 8:00 - 3:00. I have known several moms and dads who work part-time and homeschool there children successfully. Good luck with your decision!

A business accociate of mine began homeschooling and works at her home based business as well. She & her husband are doing so well with their business they chose to travel the country while homeschooling so the children could see the places they were studying 'up close & personal'. (They work their business from the road as well). The children love it and are truely learning so much.
God Bless

Hi A.,
I have 4 children ages 7, 5, almost 4, and 2. I homeschool my 7 year old and my 5 year old and I have my own business from home.
I tried Florida Virtual Academy and it wasn't right for us. The kindergarten year for my oldest was great, but 1st grade we had some problems. It was extremely time consuming and I always had to be answering to a teacher and since I had to be on the computer with my daughter at all times and while she was doing the school work, it took enormous amounts of time away from my other children and my work. On top of that, the curiculum bases almost all of the stories on fairy tales and I don't like that either. I wanted a more christian based and more laid back curiculum. I pulled her out after about 2 months of 1st grade and just really started reading alot to all of the children, doing lots of hands on activities, cooking, sewing, planting a garden, piano and you'd be amazed how much they learn just spending time with you as their mother and teacher, and this way ALL 4 of my children get to participate in learning. We get lots of books and learning videos from the library, and we have fun with it.
The key to teaching your children at this young age is just really having conversations with them in a loving manner listening to their questions and answering them and reading to them, and doing hands on activities especially outdoors.

You can do it! Have God as your guide, because there will be rough days and days where you need creativity and PATIENCE! Pray with your children that God may guide you in what HE wants you to teach your children and how. It helps so much. I do a bible study and prayer with my children in the morning before breakfast and at night before bedtime. My children are not perfect by any means, but that prayer time really allows us to ask God to guide us in the right direction throughout the day and for the next day. You just have to take it day by day.
I hope it works out with you! Take care and feel free to e-mail me!
V.

Hi A.:

I have homeschooled my son from age 3 and have enjoyed every minute of it!! I have found it to be so rewarding for both of us. What is great, is that you can be the master of your plan. If you are taking a trip, you can incorporate so much homeschooling in your travel plans. I am not sure what area you live in, but I am in Central Florida and run a small Homeschool Corner store (resale items), and assist parents with a seminar giving them their options about homeschooling.

I have been by myself since the beginning and have always worked. My son is now 14 and we have opted for a private school for different reasons - which if we communicate, I'd be happy to disclose.

I would encourage you to at least explore ALL your options. I loved homeschooling and believe that we will go back to it next year ourselves.

D.

I was on the fence about homeschooling my first born and to "test" out whether or not it would work for me, the summer before she was about to start kindegarten, I did a sample schedule of a homeschool routine and found it very, very difficult to keep her focused. She wanted to play, wanted lunch, had to go potty. Basically she wanted to do everything BUT to sit for a half hour with me and do some "work." It was frustrating and I finally gave my daughter the option: go to school or stay at home with me and learn. She chose go to school and honestly, I don't think I would have been able to handle teaching her at home a full days worth of work. Some parents are very successful with homeschooling but I know I would have failed miserably with it.

Hi A.,

I homeschool my 13 and 17 year old daughters and have from the start. My 17 year old already has her advisor for her doctorate program to insure that her undergraduate work is on target for what she needs there. I have taken care of my elderly parents, managed my husband's business, run my own home business, moved multiple times and still have been successful with homeschooling. My point is not that I am supermom ( ALL moms work and do what they have to EVERY day) but that if you really want to do this you can... The beauty of homeschooling is you can shift gears and teach things that are life appropriate that may not be in the current curriculum but they will eventually come up. You have one-on-one time that is SO effective with learning. Even if you feel like you are getting over your head at times there are many many curriculums that assist you whether there are live people on the other end of the phone or computer assistance. My girls wouldn't have it any other way because they have been able to be with their grandparents (who are quite wise and teach whether they are trying or not). Our philosophy is if you can be successful at teaching a child to think (especially outside the box) then they are capable to get any information they will need in life....

A., if you are close to Danielle I would recommend you take advantage of her offer. Homeschooling creates a bond with kids that I can't really explain and there are so many ways to accomplish their education.

God bless!

M.